Sheet registering mechanism for printing machines



Aprll 13, 1948. w. K. ECKHARD ET Al. 2,439,420

` SHEET REG ISTERING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 17, 1942 5 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTORS W/z/AM ff. 50h/WIRD, ,.CW//v W. Goopw/N,

ATTORNEY April 13, 1948.

W. ECKHARD ET AL SHEET REGISTERING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 17, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS lll VI..

April 13, 1948. w. K. ECKHARD ET AL SHEET REGISTERING MECHANISM FOR PRINTINGl MACHINES s sheets-sheet a Filed Nov. 17, 1942 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 13, 1948 SHEET REGISTERING MECHANISM FR PRINTING MACHINES William K. Eckhard, Newark, N. J'., and Edwin W. Goodwin, New Rochelle, N. Y.; assignors to R. Hoe & Co., Inc., New York, N. Y., -a corporation of New York Application November 1i) Claims. l

17, 1942, Serial N0145g89 (c1. er1-59)'.

This invention relates to sheet registering devices for printing machines, and more particun larly to improved sheet-guiding method and mechanism for side guiding sheetslof relatively soft material, such as thin metal or cardboard.

In machines of this class, side guides are pron vided which engage the edges of the sheet as it is forwarded to the printing cylinders to thereby guide the sheet so that it will be printed in proper register, Sometimes there is a variation the Width oi the sheets Which are, however',` of the same nominal dimensions, therefore it is customary to arrange one of the guides so that .it forms a positive Vpositioning means, while other guide is yieldingly supported and biased so that it bears Vagainst an edge of the sheetA with a yielding pressure. Thus, even-though the dimensions of the sheet vary to some extent, thediscloses sheet-registering mechanismvwhich incorporates side guidesarranged so tirate-they` properly position the sheet iorside-register and then recede so that there is no interference with the sheet as it moves past `the side guides. `This mechanism has proven highly satisfactory .when

handling metal sheets of normal gauge, but when, relatively thin metal sheets, or cardboard sheets` turn` are employed, the side guides tend to curl or the edges of the sheets. Y

it is, therefore, an object `of .this inventionto provide improved side registering method and mechanism for printing machines that are ern-- ployed for printingl on relatively thin or relatively soft material, and which will accurately position the sheet with reference to the'printing'cylinders without injuring theedges of the sheet andwv-hich can be used with sheets that are not entirely accurate as to shape or dimensions.`

Another object oi this invention is to -provide an improved sheet-guidingmechanisnnior4 side guiding sheets formedof relatively thin or relatively soft material,` the g'uidingfmechanism .fin-V cluding a non-yieldable,stop4 and@` an; opposed highly sensitive yieldable stop-Whichgfreely'moves to accurately conform` to the Widthof a sheet` Without curling or otherwiseinjuringthe edge Vof the sheet.

A :furtherobject of this invention is tofplron vide an `improved l sheet-guidingV method,` and' mechanism for side guiding.v sheets formed .of

which engage the sheet are rotatably mounted ,so

that their eiective guiding lsurfaces move` in the` direction `of movement-of Ythe sheet.

It is also an objectoi this invention to provide,

a sheet-guiding mechanism of generally improved construction and` arrangement, whereby-thedea. vice will be simpla durable, and inexpensive yin construction; as Well `as convenient, practical-,1y

serviceable, `and Vefficient in its use.

With .the foregoing and other lobjects, in `Vievv-` which will appearas `the description-proceeds,- the invention residesin the combinationandar-44 rangement Of parts, and in the details Voi .coniV struction hereafter described-and claimed, `it be ing understood that various changes in form'proportion'and minor-details of construction may beg made Within the scope of the claims Withoutde-v parting from the spirit or sacrificing any advan-,g

tages oi the invention.

For a complete disclosure ori theinventionpa detailed description thereoiwill now be given :in

connection with the accompanying drawings,

forming a part of the specification, wherein: f

Figure ,l is a vertical-transverse sectionalvieW,-

taken through a printing machine having .the improved sheet-guidingmechanism applied there-- to, the sheet-guiding mechanism being shown? in i elevation Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, -talrenrl through the :fixed `sheet-guide roller and its,su1,0v l porting mechanisrm parts` appearing in elevafA tion; l

Figure is a vertical sectional view, `taken through the yieldable sheet-guide roller andcits supports, parts appearing in elevation;

. Figure i` is a, planview of the mechanism depicted in Figure 3, the view being seen -in the,Y

direction indicated by the arrowd in Figure -3 Figure 5 is an end elevation of the mechanism` shown in Figure 3, `the vievv being seen in the direction indicated by the arrow 5 in liigure.4 3; Figure 6 is a similar View of the opposedend or" the structure shown inFigure 3, the View being,-

seen in the direction indicated by the arrows ,v6 in Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the,rnechanisrn-iC shown in Figure 3, and depicting its components in a different operative position;

Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional view, taken approximately on the line 8-8 of Figure 3;

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view depicting the relative effective circumferences presented to an edge of a passing sheet by a guide roller of given diameter, which is rotatable about a vertical axis, and a guide roller of the same diameter, which is rotatable about an inclined axis;

Figure 10 is a side elevation of a modied sheetguide roller; and

Figure 11 is a similar View of further modification.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts, there is depicted side frames i2 and 12a of a. printing machine and a cross bar i3 on which supports le and I are slidably mounted. Side guide rails iii and il are secured to these supports by means of screws I8 and I9, and a suitable sheet supporting member 29 is located so that its upper surface is in horizontal alignment with the upper surfaces of the side guide rails it and I1, for a purpose to be hereinafter disclosed.

A supporting block 2| is secured to the side guide rail l1 by screws 22, and this block (Fig. 2) is provided with an inclined cylindrical aperture 23 for the reception of a shaft 25 which is secured to the block 2| by a pin 26, or other suitable securing device. The shaft 25 is provided with a collar 2, which engages the block 2 l, and anti-friction bearing units 28 and 3d are supported by the shaft 25 between the collar 2l and a securing nut 3i, the bearing units being held in spaced relation, by a conventional spacing ring 32. The outer rings of the bearing units 23 and 30 are received within axially-aligned recesses 33 and 35, formed in a sheet-guide roller 3e. By this arrangement, the roller is supported for rotation about an inclined axis for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. The peripheral surface 31 of the roller 36 is longitudinally curved, so that it presents rotatable circular sheet-guiding surfaces of varying radii, as best seen in Figure 2. rI'his roller is provided with an annular flange 38 having a conical surf-ace il@ which is disposed to engage a side edge of a sheet that is supported on the members 2Q and the sheet-guide rail il, and the portion of the surface it@ which engages the side edge of the sheet is disposed in substantially perpendicular relation to the supported sheet, for a purpose to be more fully explained hereinafter.

A roller-supporting bracket lli (Figures l and 3) is carried by the sheet-guide rail i6, and the foot of the bracket 4l is secured to the rail Iii by means of screws d2, as best seen in Figure 3. This bracket has an overhanging portion or extension, that is provided with an aperture 53, for the reception of a pin or shaft d5, which pivo'tally supports a `composite link l5 that has a body portion 4l. The upper terminal of the link i6 is bifurcated, as best seen in Figures 4, and 6, and the resulting furcations 48 are disposed at each side of the overhanging portion of the bracket Lil, and they are provided with aligned apertures 5d, for the reception of the shaft de. rlhis shaft is held against longitudinal movement by a set screw 54 which is received in a threaded aperture formed in the oVerh-anging portion oi the bracket 4i. The lower terminal of the composite link de is pivotally secured to a sheetsupporting platform 52 by a pin or shaft 53, which extends through an aperture formed in the lower vent rotation of the head 63.

terminal of the link and in aligned apertures 55 (Figures 7, 8) formed in bea-ring ears 56, which extend downwardly from the sheet-supporting platform 52. An arm 5'! extends rearwardly from the platform 52, and this arm is pivotally secured to the lower terminal of a link 5S, and the upper terminal of the link is pivotally secured to the bracket di, as indi-cated at til. By this arrang-V ment, the sheet-supporting platform 522 is sus pended for swinging movement r-om the bracket ll by the suspension links i5 and 5S, for a pu pose to be hereinafter explained.

The body portion tl of the composite link i5 is provided with an inclined cylindrical recess 23a, for the reception of a shaft 25, which is secured to the body il by a pin 25, or other sui*- able securing device. rhis shaft is similar in construction and arrangement to the shaft vhich supports the stationary sheeteguide roller 35, and it also supports a sheet-guide roller '.sa of identical construction and arrangement, as the roller 35, and in the manner hereinbefore disclosed. Y

The bracket il is provided with an elongated slot 5i, which slidably receives a bolt E32 having a flat head 53 and a conventional securing nut 25. The flat head S3 is held in vertical disposition by a rectangular projection te, which is received within the slot 6l and interts therewith to prerihe head 3 is provided with a recess El for the sliding reception of a rod ii'i, which has a head lil, which is pivotally secured to the furcations cf the composite link dit, by a pin or shaft Til. A helical compression spring i2 is supported by the rod E3, and the opposed terminals of this spring engage the heads 53 and l@ to thereby bias the suspended platform 52 and yieldable sheet-guide roller '35a for movement away from the bracket ll toward the fixed sheet-guide roller and this outward movement of the platform 52 and roller 36a is limited by the engagement of a stop finger '55, extending from the body il of the lever li, with an inclined stop surface "i5 iormed on the foot of the bracket el.

The relation of the hereinbefore disclosed sheet registering mechanism to the printing cylinders of the machine is well understood by those skilled in the art, and is also disclosed in the aforementioned Eckhard patent. rIhe sheet-guide rollers 36 and 36a are to engage each sheet as it is being fed to the printing cylinders during a short time interval, and then the rollers are to be moved from engagement with the sheet, in common with the disclosures of the aforementioned Eckhard v patent. The mechanism for moving the rollers 36 and 36a from engagement with the feeding sheets, is disclosed in the said Eckhard patent, and a sufficient number of the components for producing this operation is disclosed in this application.

Collars 11 and lla are secured to the slidable supports I4 and I5 by thumb screws it, and each collar is connected to a bell crank lever 83 through an interposed link 8l. Each bell crank is pivotally supported, as indicated at 82, on a bracket 83 carried by the side members i2 and 12a of the machine frame. The levers 80 are rocked about their fulcrums 82 by rotatable cams 85, which are driven from any suitable rotatable component of the printing machine, as disclosed in the cited Eckhard patent. Bell cranks S5 are pivotally supported on studs 81, and each bell crank 86 is operably connected to the bell crank 80 through an interposed link 88. Each bell crank encanto-i is rockedabout litefuicrufn.sind .ai bythe rotation of the engagedcam; ,Byfthis arrangement, the supports l `and l are-reciprocated so that each sheet is momentarsheety for a short .period when the sheet is accurately positicnedas to side. register. After the sheet is taken by thegrippers on the cylinder, the support carrying the roller Sta recedes,v and immediately thereafter the roller 36 is Withdrawn, thus leaving the sheet entirely free andlaterally positioned for `accurate sideregister.

In .this improved registering mechanism, the arcuate.. peripheral surfaces Si of the inclined guide .rollers 36 and 35a engage the upper surface of `each sheet yas vit is traveling toward the cylinders and lightly presses the edge portions thereof against the sheet supports to thus restrain the margins of the sheet that engage the sideguide iianges 3% of the rollers 36 and 35a. At the same time, the flanges 38 `of the guide rollers 3 and Eta position the sheet in predetermined lateral relation to the cylinders to insure accurate side register, and inasmuch as the roller "lt is not yieldably mounted, the side register will be determined by the position Yof the flange 33 Yof this roller. The roller 36a and Vplatform 52 are sensitively mounted for yielding swinging movement away fromthe roller 35, and this movement is aided by gravity and is permitted by the yieldable spring i2 which constantly biases the roller .-'ltavand platform 52 underrelatively light tension-for movement toward the roller 36.` The roller tta'.` and platform 52 are suspended in bali ance. for swinging movement by the links i5 `and 53,.and since the spring 'l2 exerts very light tensionA against-the link Mythe roller 36a and platform 52 are sensitively suspendedso that they can yieldingly move in a direction away from the rollen .36 responsive to the slightest pressure exerted-against the flange 3d fBy this arrangement the roller 35a. and platform 52 readily yield to accommodateia metal sheet of minimum thickness andA to also accommodate sheets formed of reiatively soft material, such as `cardboard and the like. Furthermore,4 the inclined disposition of the-axes -about which the `rollers iand 3h41 rotatel permits the vportions of the anges 33 which engage the sheetto be disposed in perpendicular relation to the sheet, and to present an effective arcuate peripheral surface to the lateral edge of the sheet in the plane thereof which has a contact curvature of greater radius than the actual radius of `the annular peripheral surface at the sheet-engaging point in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the roller. In Figure 9, for saire of illustration, the dotted lines indicate the peripheral surface in actual radius of the sheetengaging portion of a side-guide roller which is rotatable about a hypothetical vertical axis, Whereas the hatched segment depicts the effective arc of the peripheral surface of the same sheet-engaging portion of a roller of equal diameter but which rotates about an inclined or oblique axis Which is disposed-transversely of the.

feed plane.` x Th'eeiective peripheral contour which-is presented to the lateral edge of the 'sheet bythe flanges 3S of therollers Sii and Sta may be varied by changing the configuration of the* If the surface of theV iiange .33 .which is presented to the sheet is of convex connguration, as depicted in Figure lo,

.iianges 353 of these rollers.

the effective curvature presented'to theedge of the sheet will be of greater radius than if this ledge of the ange. were conical.

By presenting .an eifective. curved peripheral surface of relatively'great radius to the lateral edge of the sheet, the pressure exerted against the sheet by the roller Will be distributed over a larger portion of the edge 0f the sheet, to thus avoid denting4r or turningthe edge of .the sheet Toy theroller surface. Furthermore, thelongil tudinallynurved surface-of therollercbody and the sheet support so connes themargins .of the. 'sheet'. that its edges areiheldin engagementzwith theflanges 3 8 of theJrollers. 36 .and 35ans. `With this arrangement, relatively thin metal. sheets or relativelysoftlsheets,such as cardboard andthe like, may beemployed'without danger of curling l or otherwise `mutilatingthe. edge lof `the sheet.

In existing side-.guide mechanism, `stationary shields, or other guide members,;aresprovidedto engagethe upper Vsurface of `thesheet to force the, lateral portions 'of the sheet downwardly. *These stationary members Voensome` resistance to the movement of the sheet towardsthe cylinders, but this hasbeen overcome in applicants present arrangement,` because `all guide surfaces which engage any;portion of the:sheet rotate so f' that these surfaces` move in -the: direction of movement of the sheet, thus .obviating resistance to such .movement..;.The.side register` is deteri mined bythe position of the flange tlof the roller 3E, and the flange. 36 of theeroller 35a. vyieldingly moves in a direction towardor away from the roller 36 .to .accommodate `sheets of varying Width, and the platform 52 moves with the roller `but remains in horizontal ydisposition throughout the amplitude of its movement.

which it carries being mounted on the support i4, While the rail I6 and the parts which it carries Would be mounted on the support it. The printing would thus be `registered tothe same edge of the` sheet for both printings.

it will ,be understood that` the invention herein disclosed may be embodied in other specific forms .without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present.embodimentbe` considered in allrespects asillustrative and not restrictive.

Having vthus described the invention, what is claimed as `nevv and useful is:

1. In a registering .mechanism for side guiding a sheet in a printing machine to iaterallyposition this sheet for sideregister aslit is sup-` ported on and moves along a 'eedplane. towards printingposition, a roller located in the path of movement .of the sheet and freely :rotatable about anaxisy which. J is Lobliquely. and. transversely `disposed relative to thefeed plane :and

When both sides of the sheets are to be. printed, it is usually necessary that the printported sheet in substantially perpendicular relation to the feed plane to thereby determine the lateral position of the sheet on the said plane, the oblique and transverse disposition of the roller axis causing the annular peripheral surface to present an effective arc'to the edge of the supported sheet in the plane thereof of greater radius than the actual radius of the same sur,- face at the sheet-engaging point in a plane perpendicular to the roller axis.

2. In a registering mechanism for side guiding a sheet in a printing machine to laterally position the sheet for side register as it is supported on and moves along a feed plane towards printing position, a roller located in the path of movement of the sheet and freely rotatable about an axis which is obliquely and transversely disposed relative to the feed plane and having an axially-elongated peripheral surface which is longitudinally curved and of varying radii and engages the top surface of the sheet, and also having an annular flange provided with an annular peripheral surface which rotates concentrically about the roller axis and engages an edge of the supported sheet in substantially perpendicular relation to the feed plane to thereby determine the lateral position of the sheet on the said plane, the oblique disposition of the roller axis causing the annular peripheral surface to present an effective arc to the edge of the supported sheet in the plane thereof of greater radius than the actual radius of the same surface at the sheet-engaging point in a plane perpendicular to the roller axis.

3. In a registering mechanism for side guiding a sheet in a printing machine to laterally position the sheet for side register as it is supported on and moves along a feed plane towards printing position, a non-yieldable guide member located to engage a lateral edge of a sheet as it moves along the feed plane, a rotatably-supported roller, means for suspending the roller from an axis which is remote from the roller for sensitive swinging movement about the said axis towards and away from the guide member to engage the opposite edge of thesheet, and means for biasing the roller for yielding swinging movement towards the guide member to thereby force one edge of the sheet against the guide member to determine the lateral position of the sheet on the feed plane.

4. In a registering mechanism for side guiding a sheet in a printing machine to laterally position the sheet for side register as it is supported on and moves along a feed plane towards printing position, a rotatably-supported non-yieldable roller located to engage a lateral edge of the sheet as it movesalong the feed plane, a second rotatably-supported roller, means for suspending the second roller from an axis which is remote from the second roller for sensitive swinga sheet in a printing machine to laterally position the sheet for side register as it is supported on and moves along a feed plane towards printing position, a non-yieldable guide member located to engage a lateral edge of the sheet at it moves along the feed plane, a platform for supporting the opposite lateral edge of the sheet, a rotatablysupported roller, means for Vsuspending the rotatably-supported and theY platform from an axis which is remote from the roller and platform for sensitive swinging movement about the said axis towards and away from the guide member to cause the said roller to engage the said opposite edge of the sheet, and means for biasing the roller and platform for yielding swinging movement towards the guide member to thereby force one edge of the sheet against the guide member to determine the lateral position of the sheet on the feed plane.

6. In a registering mechanism for` side guiding a sheet in a printing machine to laterally position the sheet for side register as it is supported on and moves along a feed plane towards printing position, a rotatably-supported non-yieldable roller located to engage a lateral edge of the sheet as it moves along the feed plane, a platform for supporting the opposite lateral edge of the sheet, a second rotatably-supported roller, means for suspending the second roller and the platform from an axis which is remote from theV second roller and platform for sensitive swinging movement about the said axis towards and away from the non-yieldable roller to cause the second roller' to engage the said opposite edge of the sheet, and means for biasing the second roller and platform for yielding swinging movement towards the nonyieldable roller to determine the lateral position of the sheet on the feed plane. i

7. In a registering mechanism for side guiding a sheet in a printing machine to laterally position the sheet for side register as it is supported on and moves along a feed plane towards printing position, a non-yieldable guide member located to engage a lateral edge of the sheet as it moves along the feed plane, a platform for supporting the opposite'lateral edge of the sheet, a rotatablysupported roller, means for suspending the rotatably-supported roller and the platform from axes which are remote from the roller and platform for sensitive swinging movement about the said axes towards and away from the guide mem- 'ber to cause the roller to engage the said opposite edge of the sheet and to maintan the platform in parallel relation to the feed plane, and means for biasing the roller and platform for yielding swinging movement towards the 'guide member to thereby force one edge of the sheet against the guide member to determine the lateral position of the sheet on a feed plane.

8. In a registering mechanism for side guiding a sheet in a printing machine to laterally position the sheet for side register as it is supported on and moves along a feed plane towards printing position, a rotatably-supported non-yieldable roller located to engage a lateral edge of the sheet as it moves along the feed plane, a platform for supporting the opposite lateral edge of the sheet, a second rotatably-supported roller, means for suspending the second roller and the platform from axes which are remote from the second roller and platform for sensitive swinging movement about the said axes towards and away from the non-yielding roller to cause the second roller to engage the said opposite edge of the sheet and to also maintain the platform in parallel relation to the feed plane, and means for biasing the second roller and platform for yielding swinging movement towards the non-yieldable roller to thereby force one edge of the sheet against the non-yieldable roller so that both rollers are rotated in the direction of movement of the sheet by frictional contact with the sheet and to determine the lateral position of the sheet on the feed plane.

9. In a registering mechanism for side guiding a. sheet in a printing machine to laterally position the sheet for side register as it is supported on and moves along a feed plane towards printing position, a non-yieldable vguide member located to engage a lateral edge of the sheet as it moves along the feed plane, a rotatably-supported roller, means for suspending the roller from an axis which is remote from the roller for sensitive swinging movement in directions responsive to and against gravity about the said axis towards and away from the guide member to engage the said opposite edge of the sheet, and means for yieldably biasing the roller against gravity in a direction towards the non-yieldable guide member to permit the roller to yieldingly gravitate 10 and moves along a feed plane towards printing position, a non-yieldable guide member located tovengage a lateral edge of the sheet as it moves along the feed plane, a platform i'or supporting the opposite lateral edge of the sheet, a rotatably-supported roller, means for suspending the roller and the platform from an axis which is remote from the roller and platform for sensitive swinging movement in directions responsive to and against gravity about the saidaxis towards and away from the guide member to engage the said opposite edge of the sheet, and means for yieldably biasing the roller and platform against gravity in a direction towards the non-yielding guide member to permit the roller and platform to yieldingly gravitate against the said bias when engaged by the sheet to determine the lateral position of the sheet on the feed plane.

WILLIAM K. ECKHARD. EDWIN W. GOODWIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are o record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number d Name Date 1,780,348 Eckhard Nov. 4, 1930 2,248,004 Lipton July l, 1941 2,294,980 Gndger et al Sept. 8, 1942 

